There are many methods for raising funds by charitable and other non-profit organizations. One method is the solicitation of direct monetary donations by members of the organization and by non-members who support the goals and programs of such organizations. Another common approach is the solicitation of goods and services from retailers and vendors which are then sold, raffled, or given away as door prizes at social events and functions of the organizations, at which nominal donations are requested for admission. Generally, the retailers motive in such donations to the organization is the creation of goodwill for the retailer among the members of the organization and others who might then be more likely to patronize the retailer. Additional motivations may include support for or membership in the organization by a person prominent in the retailer's establishment.
Many members who would otherwise be willing to make direct donations to their organization are unable to do so or are limited in the amount they can donate because of limitations in their finances or more pressing financial obligations. Similarly, retailers may be restricted from donations to organizations by their corporate policies or may perceive little benefit to their establishments in making such donations. Donations to organizations may also be impractical for some retailers, such as vendors of large or expensive items like major appliances, furniture, or the like.
Therefore, for a method of raising funds for organizations wherein retailers are provided an incentive to offer a discount to consumers, consumers are offered an incentive to shop at participating retailers, and a portion of the total purchase amount benefits the consumer directly at the time of the transaction and a portion of the total purchase amount benefits a charitable or non-profit organization selected by the consumer is presented herein.
The instant disclosure describes a fund raising method and system wherein a provider produces discount cards containing information such as, but not limited to the manufacturer ID, the family code, and the value code. The information may appear on the card in the form of a bar code, a magnetic strip or by any other commonly recognized methods. Retailers interested in selling products or services to supporters of an organization are enrolled and the card is activated to work in connection with the retailer's system, such as, but not limited to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. Representatives of an organization sell or otherwise distribute the discount cards to supporters of the organization or other interested parties. When the holder of the card presents the discount cards at an enrolled retailer at the time of check-out, the card is read by the reader which is in communication with the retailer's payment system. The holder is then credited a pre-specified percentage of the sale at the time of sale and a second percentage of the sale is set aside by the retailer. On a periodic basis, the amount set aside by the retailer is credited to the provider such as, example, by a cash payment, a credit or some other means of remuneration, whereupon the provider pays a pre-specified portion of that amount to the organization.